Electric terminal and assembly containing same

Abstract

An electric terminal, especially for a circuit board, e.g. of the breadboarding type for use in experimental circuit design, is formed with an annular groove with inner and outer walls and an annular spring element braced against one of these walls and engageable with a conductor inserted into the groove to mechanically retain the same and, at the same time, form an electrical connection therewith and with other conductors inserted into the groove. Preferably an array of such terminals is provided in respective recesses of an electrically insulating board.

We claim: 
     
       1. An electrical terminal for a multiplicity of conductors, especially for breadboarding and the like comprising means forming an annular groove adapted to accommodate a plurality of conductors and having an inner and outer wall, and including an annular spring member constituted of electrically conductive material and provided with a plurality of elements adapted to resiliently engage said conductors, said elements bearing on one of said walls, said outer wall generally being cup-shaped and said inner wall being formed as a post disposed centrally in the cup formed by the outer wall, said post being unitary with an insulating support forming said cup and being provided with a head having an undercut engaging an edge of said spring member. 
     
     
       2. The terminal defined in claim 1 wherein said spring member comprises a support ring and a plurality of spring fingers extending from said ring and forming said elements. 
     
     
       3. The terminal defined in claim 1 wherein said spring member is provided with pairs of spring fingers receiving a conductor between the fingers of each pair. 
     
     
       4. The terminal defined in claim 3, further comprising a disk-shaped cover plate provided with holes each adapted to receive a respective conductor and associated with a respective pair of fingers for guiding the conductor therebetween. 
     
     
       5. The terminal defined in claim 1 wherein said spring member is constituted of a lamellar strip with the individual lamellae bent out of the plane of said strip and forming said spring elements. 
     
     
       6. The terminal defined in claim 1 or claim 5 wherein said head is a portion of said post formed by upsetting and thermally softening a portion thereof. 
     
     
       7. The terminal defined in claim 1 or claim 5, further comprising means forming a central contact point within said spring member and electrically connected therewith. 
     
     
       8. The terminal defined in claim 7 wherein said means forming said central contact point includes a socket adapted to receive a plug, and a screw terminal on said socket.